By
the time I finished healing from my wounds. I looked back the way I
came and realized 30 years had slipped behind me. No this is not a "Pink
Floyd" song… but along with the fading scars and memories I realized
that I still had the need and desire to know everything that had happened
the night I was wounded and without being in touch with anyone from
my Gun Section, there was only one way to find that information.

At
the time I started the "Quest" I didn't know where to start to look
for the information so I probably went about it all wrong. So this is
to any and all who are interested in requesting copies of the official
records for their own "Tour of Duty" and like me don't know where to
start.

There
are two places where you might find the records for which you are looking.
One is the U.S. Army War College where they study the records and lessons
learned for ways to improve training and ways to make sure what was
learned at great cost in American lives doesn't get repeated by future
generations. The other place is the National Archives and Records Administration
where they are stored for study by the rest of the world when they are
faced with what to do with week or two of free time on their hands…
for it used to be, the way to obtain these copies was to go there and
photo copy them yourself.

There
are good things about 30 years passing and the Internet coming onto
the scene. The ways of obtaining the records have improved and in another
20 years they will probably be available online. Most of the records
held by the Army War College have been studied and returned to the National
Archives and the other people who have gone in search of the records
are willing to share their experiences about dealing with an organization
that quite literally operates behind many checkpoints and glass walls…
very little is allowed in and even less is allowed out. I have read
accounts from people that have spent weeks within the National Archives
walls and have come out empty handed. A couple of things you must know
before you begin are:

To
what unit were you assigned and what was the parent organization?
I have made this information very clear for all Artillery Units and
you can find it located at the following link (http://www.bravecannons.org/the_gun/unit_org.html).
The command structure in Vietnam was very different from any other
theatre of operation and therefore the reporting and recording structure
followed the same outline. Until you know this vital piece I do not
recommend starting the search.

What
records are you going to request? For what time period? Be aware,
you could ask for and get the wrong records because you don't know
what you are asking for… the Archives is not going to tell you, they
are going to take your money and send you what you ask for, right
or wrong. Most mistakenly think that since they or a friend were wounded
in action (WIA) or that their buddy was killed in action (KIA) that
they are looking for After Action Reports. So lets spend some time
up front and discuss forms and reports in greater detail:

1.
After Action Reports
(AAR's): are just what the name implies, a document drawn up after the
action has occurred and usually goes into greater detail than the normal
records. They typically include hand drawn maps with enemy and friendly
locations. Arrows show movement of troops or thrusts against perimeter
defenses, etc. Not all action warrants the creation of After Action
Reports… case in point, the night I was wounded there were 13 WIA and
1 KIA, 1 HERB FAC was shot down and counter battery fire techniques
could not be utilized because of close proximity of an RF/PF night location.
They were 100 meters from the enemy mortars and didn't bother to get
involved… they didn't even answer the radio calls and there were no
AAR's filed. In the case of Artillery Units most AAR's are incorporated
into the official records and are not separate documents.

2.
Operational Reports-Lessons Learned (ORLL's): This set of documents
(roughly 40-50 pages) is where you will find just about anything you
ever wanted to know and then some. For the 1/92nd the records were sent
to and compiled by 52nd Artillery Group Headquarters. If your unit was
under 52nd Group (see link above) you will find your stuff here. ORLL's
were published every quarter (3 months) and 52nd Group ORLL's ran from
February thru January not January thru December as you may think. ORLL's
contained ammo expended by type and size and by unit. They contain significant
operations, the units that were involved as well as the movement from
firebase to firebase and in some instances the grid coordinates of the
firebase. Some of them contain lessons learned about how to and how
not to airlift PSP sections and or ammo. They will contain dates for
significant items, which will help, narrow the search prior to requesting
additional documents. Depending on when you there (some BN commanders
sent more or less than others or maybe Group just published more) you
might find the number of Malaria and VD cases by unit along with Article
15's and Courts Martial numbers.

3. Situation
Reports (Sit Reps, pictured at top of page): For most historian
uses, this information is pretty ill-defined and almost code like but
when used in context with the
ORLL's it can sometimes shed light onto what you are trying to clarify.
Be warned though, when I asked for Sit Reps for a 5-day period (30JAN71
to 3FEB71) there were 47 pages to copy… so know what you want before
you ask.

4. Daily
Staff Journals: These items are like the basic logbook for phone
and radio calls to the office. When you roadmarched for example Group
was notified and it was noted on the log by date and time and who called
it in and who took the call. When you arrived in your new home another
call was made and logged with what time you arrived and what time the
unit (Btry, (-) or Plt) was laid and ready to fire. The grid coordinates
were generally noted for the battery center when relocation was called
into Group. Sit Reps average 2-3 pages per 24-hour period.

Now
that you know what you are going to request it's time to request it.
One other note here, if you know the date that a particular event/incident
happened on and that is what you are interested in requesting records
for then it is beneficial to ask for records a couple of days before
and after the incident to gain a clearer picture of events leading
up to and following the event/incident in question.

Writing
the National Archives
The following letter has been changed from the original one I used
in August of 1999 to reflect what the National Archive and Records
Administration will be looking for and uses in their response to
you. If all goes well you will receive a letter from NARA within
a month stating what they have that fits the criteria you specify.
They will also send you an order form showing what they have, how
many pages there are and the cost to reproduce (photocopy) and send
to you. There will also be an instruction sheet on how to order
and pay for the records. Just fill in the personal information at
the top (and bottom) of the letter, don't forget the "Dates of Action,"
sign it and send it off.

Your
Name
Your Street
Your City, State and Zip Code
Your Home Phone
Your Work or Daytime Phone